DSC swim teams take last competitive dip in Lemerand Center pool

Daytona State's Ginny Grams swims in the women's 100-yard butterfly at Daytona State College in Daytona Beach on Saturday.

News-Journal / Steven Notaras

SEAN KERNANSTAFF WRITER

Published: Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 4:33 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, February 4, 2013 at 3:20 p.m.

DAYTONA BEACH — Daytona State College's swimmers took part in their last home meet at the Lemerand Center on Saturday.

The final home meet of the season also was the last meet of the swim program that will no longer exist after the spring semester.

The college announced last month that it was cutting its swim program due to budgetary constraints, reduced enrollment and state funding cuts.

“Everyone is kind of (mad), but there isn't anything that we can do about it,” said sophomore Ginny Grams, a product of Spruce Creek's prestigious swim program. “We wanted to swim well because it was the last meet here.”

DSC's men defeated Florida Atlantic 173-88, while the Falcons' women's team with just nine swimmers came up short 148.5-92.5.

DSC still has one more competition left — the junior college national championships March 6-9 in Buffalo, N.Y.

“Each year we've won more events at the national level, and hopefully this year we'll win even more,” said coach Don Gibb, who has guided the DSC men and women to runner-up finishes at nationals each of the last two seasons.

On Saturday, the swimmers were focused on the task at hand.

Takashi Worrell won three events — the 1,000 free (9:41.09), 200 fly (1:58.20) and 500 free (4:42.74) — to lead the men to victory. Roman Kanyuka added wins in the 100 breast (56.97) and 200 breast (2:02.58), and Victor Vassallo finished first in the 100 back (53.75) and 400 IM (4:24.91).

David Lambert (20.91 in 50 free), J.D. Clutch (1:56.99 in 200 back) and Charles Williams (51.57 100 fly) also won events for DSC.

The decision to end swimming as a school sport is especially tough on the freshmen and coaches, Grams said.

“I hated to see it happen for my freshmen teammates and the coaches, because they're such good coaches,” said Grams, who transferred to DSC from Florida State for her sophomore season. “It's really hard on the freshmen, because you really need two years to get faster and go to another school. Most of them want to go to big programs.

Gibb, a former head coach at FSU and South Carolina, can help get swimmers placed at other schools, but he too has been displaced from a job.

“It's disappointing for me on a bunch of different levels,” Gibb said. “This is where it all started for me. I attended here in '79 to '81. My wife (Gena) went to school here when they won two national championships in a row.”

DSC (then Daytona Beach Community College) won three women's national swim titles in the early 1980s but discontinued the program in 1986. The college resumed intercollegiate swimming in 2008, hiring Daytona Beach Swimming club coach Steve Lochte as the team's head coach.

But after a suspension, Lochte agreed to resign in December 2010 and was replaced by Gibb in January 2011. Gibb, the head coach at Florida State from 1994-99 and South Carolina from 1999-07, left his job as an assistant at Kentucky to return to DSC.

Under Gibb, the Falcons' men's and women's teams finished second at nationals each of the past two seasons. This season, there are 19 men and nine women on the team rosters, Gibb said.

“I'm disappointed for the community because I think that we have a lot to offer,” Gibb said. “I think we're just starting to come around in terms of the direction of the program.”

<p><b>DAYTONA BEACH —</b> Daytona State College's swimmers took part in their last home meet at the Lemerand Center on Saturday.<ep></p><p>The final home meet of the season also was the last meet of the swim program that will no longer exist after the spring semester.<ep></p><p>The college announced last month that it was cutting its swim program due to budgetary constraints, reduced enrollment and state funding cuts.<ep></p><p>“Everyone is kind of (mad), but there isn't anything that we can do about it,” said sophomore Ginny Grams, a product of Spruce Creek's prestigious swim program. “We wanted to swim well because it was the last meet here.”<ep></p><p>DSC's men defeated Florida Atlantic 173-88, while the Falcons' women's team with just nine swimmers came up short 148.5-92.5.<ep></p><p>DSC still has one more competition left — the junior college national championships March 6-9 in Buffalo, N.Y.<ep></p><p>“Each year we've won more events at the national level, and hopefully this year we'll win even more,” said coach Don Gibb, who has guided the DSC men and women to runner-up finishes at nationals each of the last two seasons.<ep></p><p>On Saturday, the swimmers were focused on the task at hand.<ep></p><p>Takashi Worrell won three events — the 1,000 free (9:41.09), 200 fly (1:58.20) and 500 free (4:42.74) — to lead the men to victory. Roman Kanyuka added wins in the 100 breast (56.97) and 200 breast (2:02.58), and Victor Vassallo finished first in the 100 back (53.75) and 400 IM (4:24.91).<ep></p><p>David Lambert (20.91 in 50 free), J.D. Clutch (1:56.99 in 200 back) and Charles Williams (51.57 100 fly) also won events for DSC.<ep></p><p>The Falcons women were led by event wins from Tiffany Sudarma (58.25 in 100 back, 2:05.65 in 200 back), Monica Yoo (4:51.16 in 400 IM) and Vanessa Aycart (1:10.18 in 100 breast). Triniti Counter, Hannah Kiser, Kadeja Phillip and Sophie Drake combined to win the 200 free relay (1:43.07).<ep></p><p>The decision to end swimming as a school sport is especially tough on the freshmen and coaches, Grams said.<ep></p><p>“I hated to see it happen for my freshmen teammates and the coaches, because they're such good coaches,” said Grams, who transferred to DSC from Florida State for her sophomore season. “It's really hard on the freshmen, because you really need two years to get faster and go to another school. Most of them want to go to big programs.<ep></p><p>Gibb, a former head coach at FSU and South Carolina, can help get swimmers placed at other schools, but he too has been displaced from a job.<ep></p><p>“It's disappointing for me on a bunch of different levels,” Gibb said. “This is where it all started for me. I attended here in '79 to '81. My wife (Gena) went to school here when they won two national championships in a row.”<ep></p><p>DSC (then Daytona Beach Community College) won three women's national swim titles in the early 1980s but discontinued the program in 1986. The college resumed intercollegiate swimming in 2008, hiring Daytona Beach Swimming club coach Steve Lochte as the team's head coach.<ep></p><p>But after a suspension, Lochte agreed to resign in December 2010 and was replaced by Gibb in January 2011. Gibb, the head coach at Florida State from 1994-99 and South Carolina from 1999-07, left his job as an assistant at Kentucky to return to DSC.<ep></p><p>Under Gibb, the Falcons' men's and women's teams finished second at nationals each of the past two seasons. This season, there are 19 men and nine women on the team rosters, Gibb said.<ep></p><p>“I'm disappointed for the community because I think that we have a lot to offer,” Gibb said. “I think we're just starting to come around in terms of the direction of the program.”</p>